SPRING 2006 In this issue: In this issue: In this issue: In this issue: In this issue: Report from the Accrediting Commission Report from the Accrediting Commission Report from the Accrediting Commission Report from the Accrediting Commission Report from the Accrediting Commission Plan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education Workshop Plan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education Workshop Plan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education Workshop Plan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education Workshop Plan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education Workshop What DETC Accreditation Means to Our Members What DETC Accreditation Means to Our Members What DETC Accreditation Means to Our Members What DETC Accreditation Means to Our Members What DETC Accreditation Means to Our Members Title IV Questions and Answers Title IV Questions and Answers Title IV Questions and Answers Title IV Questions and Answers Title IV Questions and Answers 80th Annual DETC Conference 80th Annual DETC Conference 80th Annual DETC Conference 80th Annual DETC Conference 80th Annual DETC Conference DETC NEWS 1926-2006: DETC Celebrates 80 Years
Transcript
SPRING 2006
In this issue:In this issue:In this issue:In this issue:In this issue:Report from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionPlan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education WorkshopPlan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education WorkshopPlan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education WorkshopPlan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education WorkshopPlan to Attend the Fall DETC Distance Education WorkshopWhat DETC Accreditation Means to Our MembersWhat DETC Accreditation Means to Our MembersWhat DETC Accreditation Means to Our MembersWhat DETC Accreditation Means to Our MembersWhat DETC Accreditation Means to Our MembersTitle IV Questions and AnswersTitle IV Questions and AnswersTitle IV Questions and AnswersTitle IV Questions and AnswersTitle IV Questions and Answers80th Annual DETC Conference80th Annual DETC Conference80th Annual DETC Conference80th Annual DETC Conference80th Annual DETC Conference
DETC NEWS1926-2006: DETC
Celebrates 80 Years
1D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 5
Contents
Message from the Executive Director of DETC .............................................
Report from the Accrediting Commission ........................................................
Two Commissioners Re-Elected ......................................................................
80th Annivarsary Gala ......................................................................................
DETC NEWS - SPRING 2006
DETC NEWS—Published by the DistanceEducation and Training Council, 1601 18thStreet, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 (202-234-5100).
The Distance Education and Training Coun-cil (DETC) a nonprofit, voluntary associationof accredited distance study institutions, wasfounded in 1926 to promote sound educationalstandards and ethical business practices withinthe distance study field. The independent DETCAccrediting Commission is listed by the UnitedStates Department of Education as a “nation-ally recognized accrediting agency.” The Ac-crediting Commission is also a charter memberof the Council for Higher Education Accredi-tation (CHEA).
DETC Staff:Executive Director:Michael P. Lambert
Assistant Director and News Editor:Sally R. Welch
Director of Accreditation:Nan M. Bayster
Director of Meetings and Accounts:Cynthia G. Donahue
Assistant to the Accrediting Coordinator:Adriene L. Crossland
Information Specialist:Robert S. ChalifouxLegal Counsellor:Joseph C. Luman
1
4
10
12171822
23
26
27
28
On the Cover: DETC has had six Executive Directors in its 80-year history. Top row, fromleft: John S. Noffsinger, 1926-1952; Homer Kempfer, 1952-58; and Robert Allen, 1959-1961. Bottom row, from left: David Lockmiller, 1961-72; William Fowler, 1972-1992; andMichael Lambert, 1992-Present.
1D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
Message from the Executive Director
(continued)
The Distance Education and TrainingCouncil (DETC) is 80 years old!
For any association, reaching the eight-decade mark would be a significant mile-stone. For DETC, it also represents anopportunity for celebrating the fact thatour proud and colorful history is a continu-ing story that just keeps going and going.
They say a good idea is hard to keepsuppressed. And having DETC on thescene for the global education communityseems to be an idea that has served thepublic, the institutions and the studentswell for many years. In other words, toborrow a trite phrase, if there were noDETC, some group would surely invent it!
When you pause to consider that sincethe founding of the DETC in 1926, anestimated 130 million students have en-rolled with DETC affiliated institutions, itputs things in perspective.
DETC published a history of its first 75
years in 2001, and as I re-read it the otherday, I was struck by the fact that no matterwhat was happening in the external envi-ronment, war, peace, civil unrest, loanprogram scandals, prosperity or economicrecessions and depressions, the men andwomen in the various DETC institutionsover the past eight decades remainedstubbornly true to the original vision whichlaunched the Council: delivering on ourpromises to our students.
The adage that if you “take care of thestudent,” you will be a success in thedistance business runs like a bright, shinytheme down through the years. In lookingat our archives of the DETC Conferencesin the late 1920s and the 1930s, the Con-ference topics were not too much differ-ent from what we have today: how do youprovide better services to students? Whatare the “tips of the trade” to have more
The DETC Turns 80!
byMichael P. Lambert
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 62
efficient systems? How can you developbetter learning materials? What are thebest ways to get students to complete theirstudies?
You could write a book that couldshow how DETC institutions became the“American Way” to learn in the 20th Cen-tury. References to DETC institutionspepper our modern literature: Hemingwaymentions a founding member of DETC inhis famous novel, The Sun Also Rises.And Steinbeck refers to another DETCfounding member in The Grapes of Wrath.Thomas Edison and Teddy Rooseveltpraised the correspondence study method,and even Franklin D. Roosevelt studied ahome study course.
Along the way, there were “boom andbust” cycles in DETC’s past, periods ofrapid institution growth, with an unhealthyover-dependence by a sub-set of institu-tions on federal student funding—bothG.I. Bill and Federal student aid—fol-lowed by placid, low-growth periods in thelate 1950s and early 1960s.
The mid-60s saw the entry of Corpo-rate America in acquiring large correspon-dence schools, and the 70s saw manyDETC members flourish with swellingenrollments from the returning Veteransfrom the Vietnam era. The 70s saw morerapid growth with the Federal Loan Pro-gram, where for a time schools could actas their own “student loan lender.” Thisled to the Federal Trade Commission’sunsuccessful, five-year effort to impose adraconian set of rules on the private school
sector. The early 80s were quiet times, butthe late 80s saw a return of the FederalStudent Loan default problems. This led tothe imposition of the now defunct 50% rulethat blocked any institution that had overhalf of its courses or half of its studentsenrolled in correspondence study. A methodof learning had been tried and convictedand banned. Happily, that law was sup-planted this past February and effectiveJuly 1, 2006, the 50% rule will be anotherchapter in DETC’s history book.
The 90s were a time of rebuilding andrefurbishing the image of DETC, with thesingular event of a name change in 1994,when the National Home Study Councilbecame the Distance Education and Train-ing Council. This lead to a globalization ofDETC, and high quality institutions fromaround the world gained DETC accredita-tion.
With the entry of nearly every otherinstitutional accrediting body into the dis-tance education sector, will DETC’s oncedominant position in the distance arenabecome less? Will DETC’s many positiveachievements be eclipsed by other, largeraccrediting associations?
The answer is unknown. But to myway of looking at the trends, there willalways be a place for DETC in the dis-tance education world. We have come toofar and endured too much to be brushedaside now. We have labored intently forover 50 years in perfecting the craft ofdistance learning accreditation. We haveworked too hard to perfect our accreditingtechniques, improve our public image, bur-nish our growing international reputationand to execute our stated mission. There
(continued)
(Message from the Executive Direc-tor, continued)
3D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
are too many “true believers” in the ranksof the DETC institutions who are dedi-cated to seeing that this precious institutioncarries on its proud history forever.
Just spend ten minutes with MaryAdams of American Sentinel University,Randy Drinko ofCleveland Insti-tute of Electron-ics, Duane Hills ofBrighton College,Marianne Mountof Catholic Dis-tance University,Gary Seevers ofGlobal University,Lolly Horn of Cali-fornia NationalU n i v e r s i t y ,Connie Dempseyof Penn FosterCareer School,Marie Sirney ofAmerican Gradu-ate University,Adelaide Cherry of the Air Force Institutefor Advanced Distributed Learning, TerryFranus of the Marine Corps Institute, TomStuart of Art Instruction Schools, BrookEllis of Gemological Institute of America,David Curd of the College of Humanitiesand Sciences, or Gary Keisling of Profes-sional Career Development Institute (Ican add dozens more people), and you willknow what we mean by “true believer.”They follow in the giant footsteps of hun-dreds of others who came before them
(Message from the Executive Direc-tor, continued)
and built the DETC and made it work.DETC is not about “stamping a ticket”
for an institution to attend the Federalstudent aid dance. It is not about givinginstitutions the chance to buy public cred-ibility and acceptance. It is not aboutserving the interests of institutions overthose of students and the public.
If you look carefully at the accreditingrecord of the DETCover many years, ofhow it has deniedaccreditation toscores of applicants,and how it hasunhesitatingly with-drawn accreditationsome of its very larg-est institutions, youwill see that what it isreally about is iden-tifying—for pubicpurposes—truly highquality institutions.And it is about pro-viding an externalstimulus to accreditedinstitutions to improve
constantly, to reach for new heights ofexcellence and administrative efficiency.
Simply put, the history of DETC, andthe reason why it will continue to thrive, isthat it is the expert, the leader, in distancelearning accreditation. And to those insti-tutions that are found to measure up, theiropportunities to become better through theinstinctively constructive stimulation fromDETC are legendary. Just read some ofthe testimonial messages on page 18 of theDETC News and you will see what I mean.
There will be lots ofaccessible opportunities,from many accreditors,
for newly arrivinginstitutions to attain
accreditation for theirdistance learning. But
the most expert, indepth, sophisticated andhighest-payoff accredit-ing process for distance
is and remainsthat of DETC.
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 64
Report from the Accrediting CommissionThe DETC Accrediting Commission,
met January 13-14, 2006 and took thefollowing actions:
Commissioner Reappointed
The Commissionvoted to reappointMr. Jan M.Larson to a thirdand final three-year term on theCommission. Mr.Larson is Manag-ing Partner ofPricewaterhouse-Coopers’ SouthFlorida practice, and was first appointed tothe Accrediting Commission as a publicmember in 2000.
Mr. Larson is a graduate of the Uni-versity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and wasa combat infantryman in the U.S. Army inSouth Vietnam. He joined Pricewater-houseCoopers in 1974, and he has workedas a Managing Partner since 1991 inOrlando, Tampa and now Miami.
Mr. Larson has extensive experienceproviding audit and business advisory ser-vices to large national and multinationalclients. He is a member of the AmericanInstitute of Certified Public Accountantsand the Florida Institute of Certified PublicAccountants.
Mr. Larson’s final term will expire in2009.
Two Institutions Gain Accreditation
The following institutions were accreditedas of January 14, 2006:
American College of Technology2921 North Belt HighwaySaint Joseph, MO 64506Phone: 816-279-7000; Fax: 816-279-7004; Web site: http://www.acot.edu
SAM ATIEH, PresidentFounded 2001. Offers an Associate Degreein Computer Information Systems and Net-work Administration, and diploma programsand certificates courses in information sys-tems, desktop publishing, security technol-ogy, multimedia and business administra-tion.
ParalegalTech Institute2 Perlman Drive, Suite L-1Spring Valley, NY 10977Phone: 845-371-9101or 800-371-6105;Fax: 845-371-9103; Web site: http://paralegaltech.com
ANDREW KATZ, PresidentFounded 2002. Offers Paralegal Certificateprogram.
Six Institutions Reaccredited
The following institutions were reaccred-ited:
• Air Force Institute for Advanced Dis-tributed Learning, Maxwell Air ForceBase, Gunter Annex, AL
(continued)
5D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
(continued)
(Report from the Accrediting Com-mission, continued)
• Art Instruction Schools, Minneapolis,MN
• Catholic Distance University, Hamilton,VA
• HARDI Home Study Institute, Colum-bus, OH
• Huntington College of Health Sciences,Knoxville, TN
• Truck Marketing Institute, Carpinteria,CA
Congratulations to each of the six institu-tions.
Resigned Accreditation
The National Association Medical StaffServices (NAMSS), Austin, TX, voluntar-ily resigned accreditation as of September9, 2005.
New and Revised Courses/Programs Approved
The Commission approved the followingnew and revised courses/programs:
Allied Business Schools, Inc.• Property Management for Texas• Essentials of Real Estate Finance• Microsoft PowerPoint 2003• High School program (Allied National High
School)
American Graduate School of Manage-ment• Master of Science in Nursing• Bachelor of Business Administration
American Graduate University• Master of Business Administration
Ashworth College• Associate Degree in Finance• Associate Degree in Construction Manage-
ment• Master in Management• Master of Marketing
Aspen University• Bachelor Degree Completion Program in
Criminal Justice
Blackstone Career Institute• Wills, Trusts, and Estate and Family Law
California Coast University• Bachelor of Science in Health Care Admin-
istration• Master of Business Administration with a
concentration in Human Resource Manage-ment
California College of Health Sciences• Associate of Science in Allied Health• Master in Business Administration• Master of Business Administration in Health
Care• Change from RN to Bachelor of Science in
Nursing
Cardean University• Advanced Certificate in Computers in Edu-
cation• Advanced Certificate in Distance Learning• Certificate in Early Childhood Education• Bachelor of Arts in English with specializa-
tion in Journalism• Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies• Bachelor of Science in Accounting• Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science
(Sociology)
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 66
(continued)
(Report from the Accrediting Com-mission, continued)
• Bachelor of Science in Business Adminis-tration
• Bachelor of Science in Business Adminis-tration with specialization in Applied Eco-nomics
• Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Sciencewith a specialization in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Infor-mation Security
• Bachelor of Science in Information Technol-ogy
• Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Stud-ies
• Bachelor of Professional Studies in Hospi-tality Management
• Master of Business Administration withspecialization in Hospitality Management
• Master of Science in Instructional Technol-ogy
• Master of Arts in Communication Arts• Master of Arts in Communication• Arts with specialization in Journalism
Cleveland Institute of Electronics• Introduction to Home Automation Installa-
tion• Introduction to Computers and Microsoft
Office
Gemological Institute of America• Bachelor of Business Administration
Huntington College of Health Sciences• Exercise Physiology
Penn Foster Career School (formerly Edu-cation Direct)• Certificate in Child Psychology
Professional Career Development Insti-tute
• Professional Internet Marketing Specialist
• Professional Retail Management
Sessions.edu• PowerPoint Design• InDesign Basics
Universidad FLET• Master in Education
U.S. Career Institute• Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutritional
Specialist• Home Inspection
William Howard Taft University• Master of Education
Changes of Location
The Commission approved a change oflocation for the following four institutions:
• Brighton College moved to 85 S. MainStreet, Suite G, Hudson, OH 44236
• Columbia Southern University moved to25326 Canal Road, Orange Beach, AL36561
• Concord Law School moved to 10866Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1200, Los An-geles, CA 90024
• Westlawn Institute of Marine Technol-ogy moved to 75 Greenmanville Av-enue, Mystic, CT 06355
New Sites
The Commission approved the followingnew training sites:
7D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
(continued)
(Report from the Accrediting Com-mission, continued)
• Humanities and Sciences Academy (highschool division of College of the Hu-manities and Sciences) has a new loca-tion at 35 East Wacker Drive, Suite2307, Chicago, IL 60601
• University of St. Augustine for HealthSciences has a new resident training siteas part of its FLEX DPT program at TheMae Volen Senior Center, 1515 W.Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL33486
Change of Ownership
The Commission approved the followingchange of ownership:
• Professional Career Development Insti-tute in Norcross, GA, was acquired byBlackboard Acquisition Holding Corpo-ration
Name Changes
The Commission approved the followingname changes:
• Thomson Education Direct (EducationDirect and Education Direct Center forDegree Studies) in Scranton, PA, haschanged its name to Penn Foster CareerSchool, and Thomson High School isnow Penn Foster High School
• Home Study International in SilverSpring, MD, has changed its name toGriggs International Academy
Applicants for Accreditation and Re-Accreditation for 2006
The following institutions have applied forDETC initial accreditation or five year re-accreditation.
First Time Applicants:
Abraham Lincoln University, Los Angeles,CAAccelerated Training Institute, also d.b.a.American Gunsmithing Institute, Napa, CACalifornia University of Protection and Intelli-gence Management, San Jose, CAMount Summit University, Providence, RINorthern California Bible College, Pleasanton,CAOptimal Performance Institute, Sunnyvale, CAPacific Western University, Los Angeles, CAPerelandria College, LaMesa, CARockwell Institute, Bellevue, WARockwell University, McLean, VAStellar International Institute, Glendale, AZUniversity of Atlanta, Mobile, AL
World Pacific University, Guam
Applicants for Five-Year Re-Accreditation:
Allied Business Schools, Laguana Hills, CAAmerican Health Science University, Aurora,COBabel University, Tokyo, JapanBrighton College, Hudson, OHColumbia Southern University, Orange Beach,AL
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 68
(Report from the Accrediting Com-mission, continued)
(continued)
Grantham University, Kansas City, MOIndependence University (formerly CCHS),Murray, UTInstitute of Logistical Management,Burlington, NJWestlawn Institute of Marine Technology,Mystic, CT
Policies and Standards Adopted andProposed
The DETC Accrediting Commissiongave final approval to the changes toStandard XII. that were announced inDETC Bulletin Number 21, June 30, 2005.
The Commission also approved forpublic comment the following proposedchanges to DETC’s Business Standards(changes in boldface):
• Term of Contracts:
To be included under Section III: Tuition,Cancellation and Collection, B. TuitionRefund Policies –
Add a new number 4 under Section III B:
4. If the institution elects to use a contracttermination or expiration date on itsenrollment agreements, the termination orexpiration date must be, at a minimum, notless than twice the time projected forstudents to complete the course orprogram.
• Internet Search Engines:
To be included under Section I: Instituteand Course Promotion, A. Advertising and
Promotion, 4.
4. The institution’s address must appear incatalogs, enrollment agreements, promotionalliterature, Internet Web sites, and official DETClistings. For this purpose, a Post Office Boxnumber will not be considered an address. Forcommon media advertisements the institution’scity and state must be provided as a minimum.Institutions may not provide the names ofother institutions as triggers for their ownsponsored links on Internet search engines.
• Time-Based Refund Policy:
Section III: Tuition, Cancellation, and Collec-tion, B. Tuition Refund Policies (under 3 where“Optional Refund Policy” begins). Purpose ofchange is to clarify the new time-based refundpolicy. Changes shown in boldface.
Institutions offering academic degree coursesand programs, which have a published dura-tion stating specific dates for student startingand completion, have the option of using therefund tables below. To qualify for use of thisrefund table, the credit-bearing course mustrequire a fixed period of study that is dis-closed—prior to enrollment—to prospectivestudents, e.g., eight weeks from April __, 2006.Courses cannot exceed 16 weeks in duration.
For institutions using a continuous enroll-ment calendar, the start date for a course is thedate the student’s first assignment/lesson isreceived by the institution.
The table below sets out the percentage oftuition that will be refunded to students whocomplete only part of a course, normally de-fined as an academic learning unit ranging fromone to four semester credit hours, as defined inDETC Policy C.9. If the student contracts for aprogram of study, defined as a learning unit
9D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
(Report from the Accrediting Com-mission, continued)
that includes two or more courses, each coursemust be treated separately for the purposes ofcalculating any refund to the student. Forexample, a student who contracts with aninstitution for three distinct three creditcourses, but completes only part of one course,is entitled to a full refund on the remaining two,uncompleted courses.
The amount of the non-refundable* registra-tion fee (a maximum of $200) that the institutionmay retain is based on the discrete enrollmentcontract or agreement the student executes,not the total number of courses. For example,a single contract for three courses with onestudent would permit the institution to retaina single, non-refundable registration fee of upto $200, not three separate registration fees.
Under this optional refund policy, contracttermination/expiration dates may not be in-voked to deny a student a refund that wouldotherwise be due.
Request for Comment
If you have any comments, pleasenotify the Executive Director. The Com-mission will review all comments receivedat its June 2-3, 2006 meeting.
DETC Accreditation HandbookUpdated
The 2006 edition of the DETC Ac-creditation Handbook is available in printand on DETC’s Web site. To view onDETC’s Web site, please visit http://www.detc.org, select “Publications” and“Accreditation Handbook.”
Please contact Rob Chalifoux at 202-234-5100 ext. 100 or e-mail him [email protected] to request a copy.
Next meeting of the Commission isJune 2-3, 2006.
Published *RefundableLength Tutiion Dueof Course After—
Published *RefundableLength Tutiion Dueof Course After—
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 610
Newly Accredited Institutions
ParalegalTech Institute
(From left) Avia Katz, CEO; Stephen Hass, Educational Director; David Cohen, StudentServices Director; and Mark Geller, School Director of ParalegalTech Institute.
ParalegalTech Institute (PTI) wasfounded with the goal of introducing thehighest possible level of student participa-tion and interactivity to the online paralegaltraining environment. The institute thriveson challenging the notion that schools withphysical classrooms and campuses areinherently more interactive than online anddistance learning environments.
PTI was a pioneer in adapting state-of-the-art Internet conferencing technologyfor educational purposes. PTI’s staff mem-bers understand that distance educationstudents, while looking to avoid having totravel to and from campuses, are notlooking to forego an interactive educa-tional experience. The institute’s interac-tive classrooms, instant feedback quizzes,libraries of legal document templates, stu-
dent chat rooms and school message boardscomprise an educational experience thatparallels the interactive learning experi-ence available on a school campus.
The institute’s faculty and staff bring awide array of experience to the field oflegal education. They include senior part-ners of law firms, a division manager atone of the most prestigious legal periodi-cals in the world (the New York LawJournal), attorneys who have served in theoffices of federal and state prosecutors,attorneys who have practiced the fields ofestate planning, civil rights, and corporatelaw at small, medium, and large law firms,and career entrepreneurs.
In two and a half years of existence,the school’s innovative placement assis-
(continued)
11D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
tance system has helped scores of gradu-ates land excellent jobs in the legal indus-try. It is from this achievement that PTIgains the most satisfaction, as the schoolis, first and foremost, a vehicle throughwhich students can improve their job pros-pects and income potential.
PTI’s student feedback, including the100% satisfaction rate achieved in a stu-dent survey conducted by the DETC aspart of the accreditation process, has beena consistent source of pride for the school.The institute is proud to be a member of theDETC community, and its staff looks for-ward to exchanging ideas to be able toimprove the quality of distance education.
(Newly Accredited Institutions, con-tinued)
American College of Technology
The American College of Technology(ACOT) was founded by Mr. Sam Atiehin Saint Joseph, MO, in March 2001. Itsmission is to deliver career oriented,technical training and education to anyone,anywhere at a fair cost.
The idea for ACOT started in the1980’s when Sam was employed in Kuwaitas a Data Processing Manager. He felt heneeded a Masters degree, but he didn’twant to quit his job to study full-time. Inreturned to the U.S. in the early 90’s andworked as a computer programmer atMissouri Western State College and thenas an Information Technology Instructorat Vatterott College in Saint Joseph, MO.Here he later started the ComputerProgramming Division at the college. Inthe late 90’s, after authoring two books onthe subject of online education, Sam starteda new division for online learning. Soon, hisonline programs were so successful thathe decided to open his own school.
ACOT’s innovative programs deployinteractive multi-media CDs, streamingtechnology, and live audio discussions toprovide students with an interactive and
rich learning environment. Along with thelatest training techniques, students areequipped with the programming languagesand skills they need to enter the computermarket with confidence. ACOT offerslive interactive lectures using both voiceand video conferencing, which allowsstudents and instructors to interactsimultaneously. ACOT offers an AssociateDegree in Computer Information Systemsand Network Administration, and diplomaprograms and certificates courses ininformation systems, desktop publishing,security technology, multimedia andbusiness administration. For moreinformation, visit www.acot.edu.
Sam Atieh
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 612
(Editor’s Note: We invited the CEO ofthe American Public University System toanswer ten questions about preparing toparticipate in Title IV.)
Mr. Wallace Boston is President andChief Executive Officer of AmericanPublic University System, having previ-ously been its chief financial officer.He offers a wealth of experience andleadership, which have been key inhelping the university grow and flour-ish.
Boston has held financial and op-erational leadership positions in a num-ber of large healthcare companies. Heserved as a management consultant forPricewaterhouseCoopers and launcheda real estate development start-up. Hehas steered companies through key tran-sitions including mergers, acquisitions,restructuring and initial public offer-ings.
Since 1985, he has led progres-sively larger healthcare companies aschief financial officer or as chief ex-ecutive officer. These companies in-
clude Meridian HealthCare, ManorHealthcare, NeighborCare Pharmacies,and Sun Healthcare Group—the sec-ond largest long-term care company inthe U.S. Sun hired Boston in 2001 tolead the company out of Chapter 11bankruptcy, a goal he accomplished ineight months.
Boston is a certified public accoun-tant, certified management accountantand Fellow of the Healthcare FinancialManagement Association. He earned aBachelor’s degree in history from DukeUniversity and a Master’s degree inmarketing and accounting from TulaneUniversity.
Title IV Questions and Answers
1. What are the chief considerations aDETC institution CEO needs to con-sider before deciding to participate inTitle IV Federal Student Aid?
(continued)
by Wallace Boston, CEOAmerican Public University System
Mr. Wallace Boston
13D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
(Title IV Questions and Answers, con-tinued)
(continued)
When we evaluated the pros and consof participating in the Title IV Student Aidprogram, we analyzed the projected out-come with our institutional mission. Weconcluded that we could not reach all ofour targeted student population withouthaving access to Title IV funds for ourstudents. We knew that participation wouldmean increased rules, regulations, andscrutiny for our insti-tution. However, asan institution that fos-ters a TQM practiceof constant evaluationof processes andpractices, we believedthat the risks of seri-ous audit problemssurfacing were mini-mal. We plannedfrom day one tooutsource our appli-cation and award pro-cessing to a thirdparty firm who would assume the liabilityfor claims and processing errors.
Our bigger evaluation hurdle was esti-mating the start-up costs which rangefrom modifying policies and procedures toinstalling an ERP system that is Title IVcompliant since our internal system wasnot designed for Title IV rules and regula-tions. Once we determined our projectedcosts of participation, we analyzed if wethought we could achieve a return on thatinvestment. While an institution alwayshas the risk of defaulting students, webelieve that our target market of military
families and the public service sector hasa better than average credit rating andlower default risk.
2. How far in advance of submitting ofan application to the Department ofEducation should an institution beginpreparing for participating in Title IV?
I think that depends on the level ofconfidence that you have regarding yourability to answer the questions on the
EAPP (see http://eligcert.ed.gov foronline applicationform). Section K ofthe application ad-dresses the signifi-cant issues of admin-istrative capabilityand financial respon-sibility. You will needto have addressed allof these administra-tive processes priorto the DETC site visitwhich is required as
a condition of participation in the program(every institution needs to have an accred-iting body as the agency certifying compli-ance with the Title IV rules and regula-tions; if you have two accrediting bodies,you need to choose one as your primaryfor Title IV purposes). We submitted ouroriginal application under the DistanceEducation Demonstration Program. Atthe time we submitted it, there was norequirement that we attach certificationthat our accrediting body had conductedthe site visit and approved us to be compli-
We concluded thatwe could not reach all
of our targetedstudent population
without having accessto Title IV funds for
our students.
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 614
(Title IV Questions and Answers,continued)
ant with Title IV policies and procedures.However, during the Department’s re-view of our application, that issue sur-faced. As a result, we were the firstinstitution to request a compliance reviewby DETC. We were fortunate to be ableto schedule it in conjunction with our reac-creditation visit. The Department tabledour application review until we could re-port back to them that we had a compli-ance review and visit by DETC and thatthe results were satisfactory.
From my discussions with the Depart-ment, the financial statement review pro-cess is where many institutions fail to meetcriteria for acceptance (for a link to theratio calculations, see http://ifap.ed.gov/qamodule/FiscalManagement/Fiscal-ManagementModulepage2.html). I wouldadvise everyone to review these ratiosbefore beginning the lengthy process ofchanging your policies and procedures,hosting a site visit with DETC, and submit-ting your application. If you are not famil-iar with many of the terms, check theNACUBO College and AdministrationBusiness Guide or check with DETC. It isimportant to note that if your institution isa for-profit and has different classes ofstock, certain classes will not be includedas equity which could cause your institu-tion to fail the minimum ratios.
Another important item is that the regu-lations for Title IV require that institutionssubmit two years of audited financial state-ment that are prepared in accordance withgovernment accounting standards(GAGAS-Generally Accepted Govern-ment Accounting Standards). Most insti-
tutions have audited financial statements.However, most for-profit institutions donot have statements prepared in accor-dance with GAGAS standards. The keydifference in this report is that the auditreport includes a report on the condition offinancial controls and whether or not thereare any “reportable items” noted by theauditors during the engagement. It is doubt-ful that any of your auditors will agree toissue this report after the engagement hasbeen concluded. It may be possible to askthe Department for a waiver, but I cannottell you what the likelihood is that you willreceive the waiver. Our auditor chargedus an additional fee for preparing the auditin accordance with GAGAS.
3. What are some of the key trainingresources you found helpful? Whatresource groups or meetings wereuseful?
At the time we submitted our applica-tion; DETC was in the process of writingtheir Title IV policies and procedures anddid not have the Federal Student AidTraining Program available. We wereable to review the program before itslaunch and agreed that it would have beenextremely helpful to us had we sent a fewpeople to attend prior to beginning theprocess. We sent our CFO to theDepartment’s four and a half day courseand that was helpful as well. Since wemade an institutional commitment to ap-plying for Title IV, we also hired a consult-ant who later became our Director ofFinancial Aid. Having a consultant withsubstantial Title IV experience was help-ful but also costly, but because of the
(continued)
15D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
(continued)
(Title IV Questions and Answers,continued)
consultant’s efforts we were able to passour DETC site visit with no noted deficien-cies.
4. Do you advise that institutions re-tain a Title IV consultant?
My advice is to hire a Title IV consult-ant. Unless you’re a CPA, you probablydon’t prepare your institution’s tax return.Title IV has the samenuances as the IRStax code. We decidedto ask Sallie Mae, oursource for student pri-vate loans, for a con-sultant recommenda-tion. We also adver-tised in the Washing-ton Post. In the end,we found our consult-ant through one of ourBoard members. Idon’t know thatthere’s a right an-swer for how far in advance you shouldhire the consultant. You’re going to needa consultant in order to facilitate the suc-cessful conversion of your policies andprocedures to be Title IV compliant unlessyou chose some years ago to do so (givensome of the requirements, I doubt thatmany of you have done this. We certainlyhad not). Our policies and proceduresrewrites took about six months of elapsedtime since we didn’t have any extra peopleon the staff to dedicate to the project. I’mnot certain how many man hours of workwere involved. The going rate for a con-
sultant ranged from $400/day to $1,000/day. My advice would be to hire the $400/day person to write your policies and usethe $1,000/day person to brainstorm stra-tegic options such as SAP (satisfactoryacademic progress).
5. How do you decide whether or notto use a Third Party Servicer?
One of our Board members had been theCFO of a public, for-profit school. Hestrongly advised us that we did not want to
ramp up to processTitle IV internally. Hestated that his institu-tion had over 30 fi-nancial aid reps be-fore they outsourcedthe function. Consis-tency in training wasalways an issue forhis institution. As aresult, we made thedecision on day oneto outsource. It alsoavoids the judgmentcalls on startup hires.
There are three or four reputableoutsourcing firms that we found and eachhas different requirements for start-upfees and minimum annual fees to serviceyour account. We found those firms byasking around. I would be glad to providethe names of the firms that we inter-viewed. Since our institution is 100% on-line and very automated, we were ex-tremely sensitive to engaging a firm whosesystems were compatible with ours. Wewere also sensitive to the firm’s auditresults and were looking for a firm that did
Unless you're a CPA,you probably
don't prepare yourinstitution's tax return.
Title IV has the samenuances as theIRS tax code.
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 616
(Title IV Questions and Answers, con-tinued)
not have any audit issues with the Depart-ment. When we selected our candidate,we confirmed with the Department thatthere were no issues with that firm and theDepartment. Remember, if you contractwith a Third Party Servicer, you still needan internal Director of Financial Aid.
6. What qualifica-tions do you lookfor in a FinancialAid Officer?
I think that any-one contemplatingparticipating in theTitle IV program forthe first time shouldhire an experiencedfinancial aid officer.If your institution isa for-profit, then youshould find someone experienced in thefor-profit Title IV area since the rules aredifferent. An experienced financial aidofficer will have already attended theDepartment of Education’s Fundamentalsof Title IV training course. Additionally,your chief financial officer and chief oper-ating officer/chief executive officer shouldattend. Additional staff will be necessarydepending on whether or not you choose tooutsource using a third party servicer andthe anticipated volume of Title IV appli-cants.
7. Do you feel it is better to purchasea Title IV Compliant SIS, or modifyyour existing system?
We have spent millions developing ourinternal SIS which was not Title IV com-pliant. Our Board of Directors stronglyadvised us against attempting to modifyour existing system stating that they didn’tthink we could complete it on-time, on-
budget, and did notthink that we couldkeep the system com-pliant. As a result, welooked for a systemthat could be “bolted”to our existing SIS,keeping the best ofboth worlds, but notputting us in a situationwhere we could be outof compliance. Thatsolution was not inex-pensive, but was moreacceptable than losing
some of our critical online functionality.Do not take this exercise lightly. We havebeen working with our SIS T-IV compliantvendor for over a year and by the time wego live, it will have been nearly 18 monthssince the start of the engagement. If you’regoing to hire a vendor to modify yourexisting system, my advice would be to seeif you could get some contractual assur-ances that the modifications would be TitleIV compliant. I would also probably hire afull-time project manager to supervise thework who had substantial Title IV compli-ance experience. You do not want to failat this task.
(continued)
If your institution isfor-profit, you
should find someoneexperienced in thefor-profit Title IV
area since the rulesare different.
17D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
8. As you prepared to enter Title IVparticipation, what was your biggest,most vexing challenge? And what wasyour biggest expense in getting pre-pared to be a Title IV institution?
Converting policies and procedures in ad-vance for a program that was not availableto our students was the most challenging.Holding off on implementing those changesuntil our systems were ready and theDepartment was ready was even moredifficult. Our biggest expense was clearlythe systems conversion/implementation.
9. What other pitfalls should a CEOwork to avoid in preparation for TitleIV?
Like other government programs, thereisn’t always one answer. Whenever youare given two different solutions, under-stand in advance that both answers couldbe correct. You’ll need to have an expertwho understands your institution’s pro-grams and policies and culture to assistyou with making the right decision whenyou have options for implementation.
10. If you could start the Title IVpreparation process over again, whattasks would you do differently? Whatwere the most important lessons youlearned from the entire exercise ofgetting ready to be a Title IV partici-pant?
Assuming the decision has been madeto seek Title IV participation, I wouldspare no expense in finding the most quali-fied Director of Financial Aid as soon aspossible. Finding someone who has imple-mented Title IV for a first-time participat-ing institution would be a major plus. Themost important lesson that I learned wasthat my consultant was right when he saidit would take at least two years from startto finish. Do not underestimate the timeand money and patience it will take toprepare for Title IV.
# # #
(Title IV Questions and Answers, con-tinued)
Register Now for the DETCHigh School Seminar
Register today for the first-ever DETCHigh School Seminar, June 26-28, 2006.The Seminar will be held at the BloomsburgRegional Technical Center in Bloomsburg.Participants will stay at The Inn at TurkeyHill.
The program theme is “Distance HighSchools: The 21st Century Solution.” Aninformative and interesting program isplanned. The registration fee is $400.
The Inn’s room rates range from $89to $115 per night. There are only a limitednumber of rooms available. To make yourhotel reservations, please call 570-387-1500.
For more information of the High SchoolSeminar, the program, and the Registrationand Reservation Forms, please visitiwww.detc.org and select About Us andMeetings and Reports.
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 618
What DETC Accreditation Meansto Our Institutions
In honor of DETC’s 80th Anniversary,we asked our institutions what DETCaccreditation has meant to them and totheir students. Their responses are whatfollow.
ACHS’s mission is to foster compe-tence, professionalism, and coopera-tion in holistic healthcare, and pre-serve and share knowledge in naturalmedicine. DETC accreditation has en-abled us to reach a wider audience ofstudents and bring further credibility toour research-based career trainingprograms.
— Australasian College of HealthSciences
The HARDI Home Study Institute isa small, not-for-profit school operatedby a trade association. Public enroll-ments are not solicited. So, why wouldan industry program seek accredita-tion? Our members’ employees—whocomprise our students—could care less.For the most part, they are compelled totake courses for annual reviews. It wasthe school’s organizers—members ofthe association—that wanted accredi-tation. Rather than “just selling books”that, despite good intentions, might neverbe opened, the association’s EducationCommittee proposed home study courses.And rather than administer a half-hearted home study service with poorresults, the committee sought affiliationwith professional schools, to learn what
works best, and to meet accreditationstandards. The Institute has been ac-credited since 1969. The faculty con-tinues to benefit from the five-year re-views; and why they may not be awareof it, our “couldn’t care less” studentshave benefited the most.
— HARDI Home Study Institute
Distance Education and TrainingCouncil (DETC) accreditation has beenvaluable asset for Richard Milburn HighSchool (RMHS) and our WorldwideInternet Secondary Education (WISE)program. Following DETC standardsand principles for delivering distanceeducation has helped RMHS grow intoa credible distance learning provider.With the recent commercialization ofdistance education, it is critical thatreputable distance learning providersshield themselves from the perceptionof being an electronic diploma mill.Being a member of DETC is one strat-egy for separating an institution fromless credible distance leaning provid-ers.
Since most distance learning pro-viders market distance learning as “con-venient and easy” it may be temptingfor some schools to develop curriculumand virtual classrooms that literallysupport this marketing theme beyondreason—thus lowering the quality ofvirtual instruction. Adhering to DETC
(continued)
19D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
principles and guidelines serves as acheck and balance to avoid such temp-tations. We rely heavily upon DETCresources and research to help us pre-pare our teachers to instruct in thevirtual classroom. Ultimately, our stu-dents are the real winners. They are thereason we exist and the ones who de-serve quality instruction. We believethat DETC’s mentorship and support ispartially responsible for our successand the success ofour students.
Finally, DETC’spartnership is a con-stant reminder topromote and en-courage classroomquality and overallschool improve-ment. We are moti-vated to be the bestand DETC offers ahand to make thispossible.
— Richard Milburn High School
Accreditation by a federally-recog-nized agency is an essential credentialfor a learning organization. This isespecially true today with the prolifera-tion of online organizations promotingtheir programs on the Web and in themass media. For APUS, DETC accredi-tation provided the credibility that quali-fied our military students for the DoDtuition assistance program. Without theDETC stamp of approval, the institu-
tion would not have survived the criti-cal first five years of any enterprise.DETC accreditation also ensured thatthe degrees our students earned wouldqualify them for military promotion,military schools qualification (officercandidate schools, for example), andfederal employment qualifying stan-dards.
As an institution, we have grownstronger through engagement with theaccreditation process. The self-evalua-tion and peer review components help
strengthen ourprograms, ser-vices, and businessstandards witheach five yearcycle. Our experi-ence with DETCalso helped pre-pare APUS in pur-suing accredita-tion with the NorthCentral Associa-tion.
Over the years,we have found that
DETC’s credibility, and therefore thatof its member institutions, has grown inthe constituent communities we serve,within the higher education establish-ment, and in the federal sectors—mili-tary and civilian. We, as an institution,greatly value our association with DETCand what it has brought.
— American Public University System
The American Institute of AppliedScience’s accreditation by the Accred-
programs, services, andbusiness standardswith each five-year
cycle.
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 620
iting Commission of the Distance Edu-cation and Training Council (DETC)has certainly helped us while workingto fulfill our mission. Our student bodyincludes students from all across theUnited States and from many foreigncountries. With the increased occur-rences of counterfeits, frauds and iden-tity theft, peopleare skepticalabout enteringinto a businesscontract with or-ganizations listedon the Internet.As a correspon-dence school, thefact that we arelicensed by theState CommunityCollege Systemand accredited bythe DETC lendscredibility to the school, supports thevalidity of the institution and inspirestrust among our students.
— American Institute of Applied Science
Accreditation is the standard bywhich all schools measured. A prospec-tive student can enroll with confidencein an accredited school knowing thatthe school has voluntarily undergone acomprehensive study and peer exami-nation that has demonstrated that theinstitution does in fact meet the estab-lished standards Accreditation is apromise that our institution operates ona sound financial basis, has an ap-
proved program of study, qualified in-structors, adequate facilities and equip-ment, effective recruitment and admis-sion policies, and that we advertises itscourses truthfully. DETC accreditationis important because all of our pro-grams are offered at a distance, onlineand DETC is the global leader in Dis-tance Learning Accreditation. DETCaccreditation means we can help peopleaccomplish their goal of furthering their
education andmake a better lifefor themselves,their families andtheir communi-ties. By earningher degree froma DETC accred-ited college,graduate SharonS. says, “I ammore self-confi-dent and my de-gree has certainlyenabled me to
apply my new MIS skills more effec-tively and efficiently.” With DETC ac-creditation students know they are gain-ing valuable tools to be competitive inthe job market.
— American Sentinel University
It is continually made clear to theDETC family of institutions that theDETC accrediting processes are welldesigned to certify the validity and valueof distance education programs. More-over, the idea of fostering improvementcontinues to be built into the DETC
It is continually madeclear to the DETC familyof institutions that the
DETC accreditingprocesses are well-
designed to certify thevalidity and value ofdistance education
programs.
21D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
procedures. DETC self-studies and sitereviews have been extremely helpful toour institution. The procedures arewell thought out, clearly presented, andprogressive in their development. Therequirements of DETC accreditationare reasonable and are seen in ourinstitution as excellent professionaladvice. DETC staff and site reviewershave been unfailingly helpful in pro-viding the guidance we need to con-tinually improve our programs. GlobalUniversity appreciates the continuedprofessional relationship that the insti-tution has enjoyed over many years.
— Global University
The Diamond Council of Americaowes its effectiveness, in many ways, toits Distance Education and TrainingCouncil affiliation. The accreditationprocess provides structure and focusfor schools that seek excellence andwant to serve their students at the high-est possible levels. The rigorous stan-dards and methodical review processforces DCA to regularly inspect andevaluate every policy and practice. Ourstudents report that our courses areeffective and our completion rates areat an all time high; a direct result of thedue diligence required by the DETC“process” and the awareness that main-taining accreditation is an ongoing andconstant effort. DETC accreditation isone of our most valuable assets and isdirectly responsible for the exponentialgrowth of our school.
— Diamond Council of America
DETC accreditation has been ben-eficial for Keystone National HighSchool on many levels. Most impor-tantly, accreditation confirms that wehave achieved the high standards nec-essary to be associated with “the best ofthe best” in online learning. In addi-tion, the DETC accreditation reviewshelp steer our planning and develop-ment by providing an outside review ofour organization. For Keystone fami-lies and graduates, our DETC accredi-tation provides confidence that ourschool and courses have been given athird party stamp of approval. Prior toenrollment, our potential families areassured knowing that they will receivea quality educational experience andoutstanding customer service.
— Keystone National High School
ParalegalTech Institute (PTI) is gladto be a new member of the DETC family. We have already seen the accredita-tion is very important to many prospec-tive students, who appreciate the guar-antee of quality, as we expect that it willbe to prospective employers of PTIgraduates. Accreditation has also al-lowed PTI to join the DANTES pro-gram, making enrollment easily acces-sible to active duty service members.
The network of DETC schools hasalready shown itself to be an invalu-able resource, as PTI staff memberscame away from the DETC conferencewith many ideas for improving theschool.
—ParalegalTech Institute
(What DETC Accreditation Means toOur Institutions, continued)
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 622
Mark your calendars now and plan toattend the always popular DETC DistanceEducation Workshop, October 17-18, 2009at the Center for Continuing Education atthe University of Notre Dame in NotreDame, Indiana.
This well-attended Workshop is onlyheld every even numbered year, so youwon’t want to miss this opportunity. Morethan 80 people attended the last Workshopin 2004.
The DETC Research and EducationalStandards Committee is developing a themeand program that will sure to be informa-tive and interesting.
The Workshop begins on Tuesday, Oc-tober 17th and ends on Wednesday, Octo-
Plan to Attend DETC’s DistanceEducation Workship at Notre Dame
ber 18th with a reception and dinner at thefamous Tippecanoe Place, the stunningStudebaker Mansion in South Bend.
An Accreditation Seminar is sched-uled for Monday, October 16th at theCenter for Continuing Education at theUniversity of Notre Dame. The Seminar isa primer for institutions applying for initialaccreditation and those institutions pre-paring for re-accreditation.
More details on the program and reg-istration materials will be mailed in earlysummer.
Keep an eye on DETC’s web site atwww.detc.org, select “About Us” and“Meetings and Report” for the most-to-date information.
23D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
Person of the Year Award—Dr. Robert G. Mayes, Sr.
Dr. Robert Mayes, Sr. was Presidentof Columbia Southern University in Or-ange Beach, AL. Bob founded CSU in1993, and he was instrumental in gettingCSU accredited by DETC in January2001. Under his leadership, the Universitygrew from offering one certificate pro-gram to offering 15 undergraduate andgraduate degrees program to more than10,000 students. Sadly, Bob died of arespiratory illness on September 26, 2005.
Bob was raised in Jonesville, Louisi-ana, where he was an All-American Foot-ball player at Block High School. He wasa Vietnam Veteran and a recognized leaderin the field of online learning. He wasactive in the Alabama Gulf Coast Area
Chamber of Commerce and was a boardmember for the American Heart Associa-tion, Art for Heart fundraiser.
Bob had more than 35 years’ experi-ence operating various businesses suc-cessfully as Chief Executive Officer. Hewrote training manuals for use in distanceeducation that are used throughout theEnvironmental and Safety profession. Hetaught Environmental and Safety coursesto more than 10,000 employees at variouscompanies throughout the United States.In addition to founding CSU, Bob alsofounded an environmental and safety con-sulting company, a finance company andan insurance company. He was Presidentof WRBE Radio, Chapter President of theJaycees, and Former State Vice Presidentof Texas Jaycees.
DETC Awards
(continued)
Bob's familyaccepted theaward on hisbehalf. (FromLeft)ChantelCooley, daughter,Minnie Mayes,wife, and RobertMayes, Jr.
The DETC Awards were presented at the Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, April 11,2006, at the Annual Conference. The following awards were presented:
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 624
Bob was a strong supporter of DETC,and he was an active member. He chairedthe 2004 DETC Distance Education Work-shop at Notre Dame, and he was a mem-ber of the DETC Business StandardsCommittee, and the Finance and BudgetCommittee. He was a devoted family manand a Christian. Because of his contribu-tions to the DETC and the field of distanceeducation Bob merits DETC’s Person ofthe Year Award.
Distinguished Recognition Award—Dr. David W. Curd
Dr. David W. Curd is the President ofCollege of the Humanities and SciencesHarrison Middleton University. He alsoserves as the President of the Humanitiesand Sciences Academy, an adult distancelearning high school. He has recently wasappointed as a Commissioner of the Ari-zona Commission on Postsecondary Edu-cation and as a member of the Governor’sP-20 Council of Arizona. He also servesas a Director of the Great Books Founda-tion in Chicago. He has held numerouspositions in the education field, including
Superintendent of Schools, Director ofResearch and Program Development andTeacher. Dave was elected to the DETCAccrediting Commission in 2005. Heearned a Doctor of Education and Bach-elor of Arts in Education from ArizonaState University. He also earned a Doctorof Jurisprudence from Drake University.Dave was elected to the DETC Accred-iting Commission in 2005.
In addition to his many academic cre-dentials, Dave has received numerousawards and decorations, while he servedin the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War,including the Bronze Star. Dave has 20years of experience in developing aca-demic programs including elementary, sec-ondary, postsecondary and required sub-ject areas from foreign languages to voca-tional education. Dave was instrumental increating the DETC 80th Anniversary“Cooking with the Council” cookbook. Forhis outstanding contributions to DETC,Dave merits the DETC DistinguishedRecognition Award. Distance Education Award—
Honorable Guy A. Vander Jagt Mr. VanderJagt joinedthe DETCteam to rep-resent us be-fore Con-gress duringthe period ofre-authoriz-ing the HEA.
(DETC Awards, continued)
(continued)
25D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
A close friend of John D.Drinko, Chairman of Cleveland Instituteof Electronics, Guy joined the D.C. LawFirm of Baker & Hostetler after a brilliant14-term career as a Congressman fromMichigan. He rose in stature with everyyear he was in Congress.
From the period of August 2003through August 2005, Guy worked behindthe scenes on Capitol Hill, visiting morethan a dozen Congress Members and theirstaffs on behalf of DETC. No door wasclosed to him, especially on the Majorityside. He was enthusiastically welcomedeverywhere he went on our behalf, andwas an effective spokesperson for DETC.DETC had no PAC, and gave out nopolitical contributions.
We did have something better: Con-gressman Guy Vander Jagt to help us tellthe story. Because of his outstanding ef-forts over this two-year period, the Com-mittee leaders on both sides of the Hillstrongly supported the DETC position.
On February 8th, the 50% rule was setaside. As a result, millions of future DETCstudents will one day be able to get federalassistance for fulfilling their dream of afirst class education. And they shouldthank, among others, Guy A. Vander Jagt.For his outstanding contributions to thefield of distance education, Mr. Guy VanderJagt merits DETC’s Distance EducationAward.
He was unable to attend the Confer-ence. The plaque will be presented to himin Washington, DC.
Distinguished Service Award—Marie Sirney
Ms. Marie Sirney has been a memberof the staff of the American GraduateUniversity, since 1973. During her tenureshe has served in varying roles—as Direc-tor of Research, Director of DistanceEducation Development, and most recentlyas Vice President of Administration andAccreditation. In that capacity she over-sees admission procedures, disseminationresearch for the faculty and students,registration activities, outcomes assess-ment, and day-to-day school administra-tion. Marie received her Bachelor of Artsdegree in Sociology and Political Sciencefrom Whittier College; has a lifetime Cali-fornia State Secondary Teaching Creden-tial; and a Master of Science degree inLibrary Science from California StateUniversity at Fullerton.
(DETC Awards, continued)
(From Left) Michael P. Lambert, DETCExecutive Director, presents award to MarieSirney.
(continued)
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 626
Marie has been an outstanding sup-porter of the DETC. She has served onDETC’s Research and Educational Stan-dards Committee since her institution wasfirst accredited in 1998, and she’s chair theDETC Awards and Recognition Commit-tee since 2003. She wrote a chapter inDETC’s 2004 Course Development Hand-book on “Instructional Development forthe Distance Educator.” She spoke atDETC’s Distance Education Workshopat Notre Dame in 2000, 2002, and 2004.She Chaired the DETC Education Direc-
(DETC Awards, continued) tors Seminar in 2001 in Kansas City, dur-ing 9/11 – where she did an outstanding jobkeeping the meeting running going whenall eyes were glued to the TV – for anyoneattending that meeting, it is one we willnever forget. She has also served as anEvaluator and Chair on numerous DETCAccrediting Committees. Throughout itall, Marie kept us going! Marie exhibitedexcellent leadership in leading the waywith DETC’s Outcomes Assessment Pro-gram. For her numerous outstandingachievements on behalf of DETC overmany years, Marie Sirney merits the Dis-tinguished Service Award.
DETC Outstanding Graduates Honored
Back row, from left: Victoria Brown, graduate of American Sentinel University; Jamie A.Gauthier, graduate of Columbia Southern University; Dana Coberly, graduate of IndependenceUniversity; Albert Cacace, graduate of Aspen University. Front row: Lori Ritchie, graduate ofAmerican Graduate University, and Susan Bailey, graduate of Grantham University.
Six of DETC’s 2006 Outstanding Graduates were also honored at Tuesday’s AwardsLuncheon on April 11, 2006.
27D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 6
Two Commissioners Re-ElectedThe following Commissioners were re-
elected for a three year term (2006-2009)as institution members of the DETC Ac-crediting Commission:
BrookEllis
Mr. BrookEllis is theVice Presi-dent of Edu-cation at Gemological Institute of Americain Carlasbad, CA. Mr. Ellis’ distinguishedcareer in the jewelry industry began in1959 with Henry Birks & Sons, Ltd., oneof Canada’s largest fine jewelry chainretailers. He worked with Henry Birks &Sons until 1995, and ultimately achievedthe position of Vice President of FineJewelry. During his tenure with HenryBirks and Sons, LTD, Mr. Ellis also heldpositions with the American Gem Society,the 24 Karat Club of America, the Jewel-lers Vigilance Canada, Inc., JewelleryWorld Magazine, and the Jewelers Edu-cation Foundation. He served on GIA’sBoard of Governors from 1983-1995. Mr.Ellis received a Bachelor of Commercefrom the University of Toronto, Canada in1959. He received the American GemSociety’s “Registered Jeweller” designa-tion in 1961 and the “Certified Gemologist”in 1964. He was elected to the DETCBoard of Trustees in 2000 and was elected
Second Vice President of DETC in 2001.Mr. Ellis was elected to the DETC Ac-crediting Commission in 2002 and alsoserves as the DETC Treasurer.
GarySeevers
Dr. Gary L.Seevers, Jr.currently ser-ves as theVice Presi-dent for Aca-demic Affairsat Global Uni-versity (formerly ICI University). Heearned a Ph.D. in Educational Researchand Evaluation, an Ed.D. (ABD) in HigherEducation, and a Certificate in AdvancedGraduate Studies in Higher Education Ad-ministration from Virginia Polytechnic In-stitute and State University (Virginia Tech),a M.Ed. in Education Psychology-SocialFoundations from the University of Vir-ginia, and a B.S. in Bible and an Evange-listic Teacher Training Association fromValley Forge Christian College. Dr.Seevers joined ICI University in 1994. Hepreviously served as the Director of Re-search and Evaluation, Dean of UniversityRelations, and the Associate Vice Presi-dent for Academic Affairs. Dr. Seevershas served as a school member of theDETC Accrediting Commission since2001.
###
D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 628
80th Anniversary GalaMore than 140 people attended DETC’s
80th Annual Conference, April 9-11, 2006at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle,Washington. For the complete report onthe Conference, visit DETC’s Web site.The Annual Banquet was a gala affair,where everyone celebrated DETC’s 80thAnniversary.
